Public sector struggles on net zero

Getting the UK’s public services across the net zero line will require £140 billion of government funding by 2035, says public services union UNISON.

It argues that if the government’s 2050 target is to be met, the UK’s hospitals, schools, colleges, universities, care homes, town halls, leisure centres, police stations, courts, social housing, and water, transport and environmental services all need to be part of the plan.

A UNISON report, Getting to net zero in public services: the road to decarbonisation, says that without government funding, public services — still reeling from a decade of austerity — will struggle to decarbonise.

In the absence of a significant capital injection of funds, it says, public services would only be able to move slowly towards net zero, taking resources from already stretched budgets.

Measures like making all public buildings energy efficient, installing roof top solar panels, the introduction of electric vehicle fleets and LED street lighting could create almost a quarter of a million new jobs, the study sets out. It would also mean cheaper energy bills and lower transport costs for public services.

The report says public services currently account for about 8% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, with the NHS naking up 4% of that. The NHS aims to reach net zero by 2040, and more than a third of councils have committed to get to that point by 2030.

https://www.unison.org.uk/content/uploads/2021/11/26609.pdf